This invention generally relates to a switch and, more particularly, to a cross key switch for use in a game controller, in which four rubber switches for outputting signals respectively corresponding to four directions are disposed on a base board, and in which a pad bottom for depressing the rubber switches is put on the rubber switches, and in which a pad top is mounted on the pad bottom.
A related cross key switch of such a kind is described hereinbelow with reference to FIG. 2. In a cross key switch 1, a casing 3 is provided on a base board 2. Further, four contact portions (not shown) for outputting signals respectively corresponding to four directions are provided on the base board 2 in the casing 3. Rubber switches 4 are disposed on the contact portions, respectively. A disk-like pad bottom 5 for depressing the rubber switches 4 is put on the rubber switches 4.
Further, a central axis portion 6 is provided in the central portion of the pad bottom 5 in such a way as to upwardly or downwardly pass therethrough. A recessed portion 7 is bored in the top part of the central axis portion 6. A projecting portion 9 provided on the bottom face of a pad top 8 in such a manner as to hang therefrom is press-fitted into the recessed portion 7. Thus, the pad top 8 is attached to the pad bottom 5. On the other hand, the bottom face portion of the central axis portion 6 is formed as a spherical portion 10. This spherical portion 10 is in contact with the top face of the base board 2 and serves as a swinging fulcrum for the pad bottom 5. Incidentally, the top portion of the pad top 8 is exposed above the casing 3 and protrudes therefrom and enabled to be externally operated.
Thus, when a part of the top face of the pad top 8, which part is located in one radial direction from the center of the top face, is depressed, the spherical portion 10 including the bottom face of the pad bottom 5 serves as a swinging fulcrum. The rubber switch 4 disposed at a place just under the part located in the depressing direction, in which this part of the top face of the pad top 8 is depressed, is pushed down, so that the rubber switch 4 placed under the depressed part corresponding to the depressing direction is electrically conducted to the contact portion formed on the base board 2. Thus, a signal output is generated.
Incidentally, even when a part in a direction other than the four directions from the center of the top face of the pad top 8 is depressed, one of the rubber switches 4, 4, which is contiguous to a place located just under the depressed part placed in the depressing direction, is pushed down, so that an output corresponding to the depressing direction is obtained.
However, the cross key switch 1 is configured so that the projecting portion 9 of the pad top 8 is mounted therein by being press-fitted into the recessed portion 7 of the pad bottom 5. Thus, it is necessary for facilitating the press-fitting of the projecting portion 9 into the recessed portion 7 that the pad top 8 and the pad bottom 5 are made of different materials, respectively, for example, the pad top 8 is made of a hard material, while the pad bottom 5 is made of a relatively soft material. Thus, the related cross key switch has encountered the problems that variation in the quality among the components thereof occurs, and that the functional characteristics thereof are unstable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a switch, in which variation in the quality among the components thereof is eliminate and the functional characteristics thereof is stabilized.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided the switch comprising:
a rubber switch;
a pad bottom, provided on the rubber switch, the pad bottom having a first opening and a second opening;
a pad top, operable to move the pad bottom so as to depress the rubber switch, the pad top including a first leg portion which has a hook and a second leg portion which has a screw hole, the hook engaged with the pad bottom through the first opening; and
a screw, threading in the screw hole through the second opening to fix the pad bottom to the pad top.
Preferably, the pad top and the pad bottom are comprised of a same material.
In the above constructions, the pad top and the pad bottom can be made of the same material. Further, variation in the quality of components can be eliminated. Moreover, the functional characteristics can be stabilized. Furthermore, the enjoyment of the hook-engagement of the leg portions enhances the assemblability of the switch. Consequently, the invention has quite considerably excellent effects.